Today's efforts afer getting the right bearings, 1.5 to 2.5 thou clearance on the main journals, big ends very tight too perhaps 1 to 1.5 thou, this will ease with time. Had to use a J4R crank as mine was at the limit of clearance around 1 and 5, 3 was at 1.5 thou but the ends have worn.

Now what? fit the pistons of course, new big end bearings.

Finished on the botton time to close it up

Trebond red and sump on now the head, new gasket fit the two dowels and away we go, oil on the bolts, 35nm 70 nm plus 160 degrees that is a bit of hard work, you can feel the bolts stretching.

Head on looking good, storm on its way so time to shut shop, have lunch and fiddle with some other things to mount to block, only to take them off again when I paint it.

Fit the water pump and that's it for today.

Fit my old XU9 engine mount, shift a dowel, FU magic. Looks like Chez will get on the road before me. I am looking on as I am going to also trick up a J4R as a bolt in change for this J4RS lump.

Bluey, not sure what year it is but its an older one so I would guess 97/98. Not sure why its different but its an RFS block as given by the stamping on it. Good to hear about the rings, glad something is going my way

Nick, great to chat and as discussed I wilol arrange for pick up, good to have it if I cannot get mine fixed.

Will try Cam, finding parts and a sociable and patient car parts place is hard, need bits for the doors where the magic maggot stole inserts, god help me with the dash the cluster is sitting loose and I have not gone in there. Your knowledge set is at least two cars ahead of mine!

Will try Cam, finding parts and a sociable and patient car parts place is hard, need bits for the doors where the magic maggot stole inserts, god help me with the dash the cluster is sitting loose and I have not gone in there. Your knowledge set is at least two cars ahead of mine!

G'day,
if you are not careful, you could end up with a really cool custom.

One step closer today, put in a battery checked for shorts and powered the car up, most things worked, headlights and front electrics did not most likely because of earth return missing, hence my other post. I hope there is a contract out on that mongrel who stole these things.

It was to pinch the main loom connectors and whatever they connect to, because they are not there and he has obviously been right through the dash, bits broken between steering wheel covers and intrumentation over towards the fuse panel, broken behind the middle push switches.

Thanks mate, it was a really nice one before he worked it over, in fact he commented it would have been the best S1 in Oz, not anymore.

Having fun with JB weld, quite impressed so far. Will have to remove dash, damage everywhere. At least it can be boged up and hidden away good opportunity to reinforce it and fit anti squeek stuff! It will end up better than before too.

Impressed with your determination to get this car back into some semblance of what it meant to you before this saga began, hopefully justice will prevail or that karma weaves its own strange ways to right wrongs, and good to see a good example to others, to beat the [email protected] of the world.

Keep us update and nice to see other froggers rallying around you, those that have helped can be justly proud of the car and your determination to fix it.

Thanks to you and all, lots of JB weld the only issue is its fragility now, look at it the wrong way it breaks again sort of stuff.

I suspect I will go down a carbon fibre / glassed dash to strengthen it. On issue is I have to take it out to fix every thing the prick broke in doing this. To make matters worst I have a grey dash with a black bottom half. He is lucky the won't let him back.

Back on its feet

New shafts, a good clean down below, oil and nulon into gearbox, inlet on and still on its original springs and shocks which seem to be fine, looking better but the dreaded clearance issue still hits with the j4r inlet which I hoped to avoid. The j4rs would be a nightmare but I will have it cut down to fit.